氧

Oxygen (element)

Strokes10

Readings

On'yomi

ヨウ

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

氧 centers on the chemical element oxygen. It is a modern character created specifically to name this element, so its meaning is narrow and technical.

Study

Etymology

氧 is a modern coined character for the element oxygen. It combines the gas radical 气 with the phonetic component 羊 (ヨウ), which hints at the reading and distinguishes it from other gas-related characters.

Meaning mnemonic

The gas enclosure 气 surrounds a sheep 羊. Imagine a sheep breathing pure oxygen from a tank—the sheep needs oxygen to live, just like any animal.

Reading mnemonic

For ヨウ, picture a sheep (羊, よう) inside a gas chamber, inhaling oxygen. The sheep's bleat 'yo-u' (ヨウ) fills the air as it breathes the oxygen.